Chapter 1 He Hates Me

Aurora POV:

I sat at my desk and wondered why I'd taken this secretarial job in the first place.

My boss, Jacobsville, Texas, attorney Micheal Angelo, didn't appreciate me at all. I had only been trying to keep him from dying of a premature heart attack by changing his regular coffee to decaf. For my efforts, I had been on the receiving end of the worst insult I could ever imagine, and from the one man in the world that I loved above all others. I knew my co-workers were as upset as I was. But nothing made up for the fact that Micheal Angelo hated me.

I looked down at my voluptuous body in a purple dress with a high neckline, frilly bodice, and straight skirt, vaguely aware that the style did nothing for me. I was wearing it today, of all days, when Micheal gave me that disapproving scrutiny. My mother had tried to tell me, gently, that frills and big bosoms didn't match, Worse, a tight-fitting skirt only emphasized those wide hips.

I have been trying so hard to lose weight. I'd given up sweets, joined a gym, and worked hard at cooking regular and weight-conscious meals for myself and my elderly mother, who had a heart condition, but all was to no avail.

My father had died the year before of an apparent heart attack. A woman had been suspected of poisoning him, and she'd taken from Dad quite a sum of money before he died unexpectedly, just after being seen with her in a motel room. It had been too late for My mom to stop payment on the check, she didn't realize the money was missing until well after the funeral.

My mother and I had been devastated, not only by his death and affair but by the disastrous financial condition he'd left behind. We'd lost our home, our car, everything. The woman who'd convinced Dad to give her a quarter of a million dollars couldn't be positively identified. And she'd run up accounts in department stores and even jewelry stores, for which Dad's estate was suddenly responsible. My mother had her first stroke just after the funeral. My small separate inheritance had been just enough to support us for a few months. But after it ran out, I had no choice but to support us both.

There had been a vacancy at Micheal Angelo's office and I had happily taken it.

It was nice working in Micheal's office, and I was a good secretary, But he never appreciated me. Less today than ever before.

I raged for five minutes, while my helpless co-workers and best friends listened and sympathized. I poured out my heart, including my feelings for my taciturn boss.

"I don't understand how I can be heedlessly in love with such a terrible man," I said tearfully

"Don't take it so much to heart, dear," Mabel said finally, sympathizing with my despair. "He probably had a bad day"

"He thinks I'm fat," I said miserably.

"He didn't say," she replied

"Well, you know how he looked at me and what he insinuated," I muttered, glaring down the hall.

Mabel grimaced.

"He's had a bad," she said again

"So have I," I replied flatly.

I pushed back my long hair, and my turquoise eyes were tearful, although I was trying hard to conceal my hurt feelings. Libby Collins patted me on the shoulder. "Buck up, Aurora," she said gently. "Just give it a couple of days and he'll apologize. I'm sure he will."

"I could bet my life, an apology was the last thing on the bastard's," I said

"Miss Hardy, report to my office" the intercom blared

My soul was shocked out of my body. The Intercom is on? Was it on the entire time? He heard all I said, including my confession. The loathe in his voice as if I had committed the seven deadly sins, was the proper confirmation. How would I be able to face him, I wish the ground would open and swallow.

I could see the distraught look on Libby and Mabel's faces as I stood up and headed to his office with my heart in my mouth.

I knock on the door softly.

"Come," he said with his cold voice

I came face to face with the love of my life, he was seated majestically behind the desk, his big blue eyes staring deep into my soul. He is the most handsome man I have ever seen, his aesthetically appealing appearance and sexually alluring physique was enough to send a pang of lust down my throat despite my anxiety.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," he said in his dead cold voice.

I gulped hard.

"I'm truly sorry sir, it was....."

He waved his hand to stop me mid-sentence.

"I would love to pretend I never heard that, but I find it hard to do so. The mere thought of it makes me nauseated. Have you seen yourself, you look like a bloated frog. I'd advise you to get that foolish out of your idea out of your demented mind and focus on the work you came here to do" he said and continued with the paperwork on his desk.

I winced at his every word as they pierced my heart like a dagger. I normally cower in his presence and shrink away, but not today. I could feel my blood boil. I felt suffocated with anger, unable to breathe unless I opened my mouth.

"I work so hard for you and this is the insult I get"

"You are not working for free, Miss Hardy, you work hard, so you get paid, which I'm pretty sure I do every month. That's how employment works" He said without looking up from his desk.

"You are a despicable human being, the worst, a truly terrible man, and you not realizing how terrible you are doesn't make you less horrible," I said with clenched teeth

"Kindly leave my office and get me paperwork from Mr. Giovanni's case files" he replied coldly, unbothered by my outburst.

I stared at him, my eyes boring a hole into him. If looks could kill, I would probably not have stared at him this hard, despite hating him this very moment, I knew I still loved him dearly and wouldn't want him dead.

I walked calmly out of his office and to my desk, I knew what to do. I've suffered enough humiliation.

Libby and Mabel noticed my unusual solemnity, It got worse when I pulled a typed sheet from my printer, got up, took a deep breath, and walked down the hall to his Office. They feared the worst.

I entered his office without knocking and handed him the envelope, he took it off my hand without looking up.

"This isn't Giovanni's case file, What the hell is this?" He said, finally looking up

"Whatever it looks like" I replied

I stepped out of his office and stalked back down the hall, red-faced and unnerved, with an enraged boss, minus his glasses, two steps behind, waving the sheet of paper at my back.

"You can't give me one day's notice!" he raged. "I have cases pending. You're responsible for sorting them out and notifying the petitioners..."

I whirled, eyes flashing. "All that information is on the computer, along with the phone numbers! Libby knows what to do, she had to help me keep track of your cases when I had to be home with Mother during her last stroke! Please don't pretend it matters who's doing the typing or making the phone calls because I know it doesn't matter to you! I'm going to work for Leo Jordan. I've already gotten several letters of appointment from him".

He was seething, but he went suddenly quiet. "Going over to the enemy, then, Miss Hardy?"

"Mr. Jordan is more of a human and compassionate as a human should, he doesn't bully his employees at every change nor rage about coffee. In fact," I said confidently, "he makes his own!"

"I would work until the end of the day as a show of my goodwill" He looked for a retort, couldn't think up one, mashed his sensuous lips together, and let out a word under his breath that could have had him up for charges of harassment, and stomped back down the hall still clutching the single sheet of paper. As an afterthought, he slammed his door.

Libby and Mabel tried not to laugh. Mr. Angelo always threw at least two secretaries out of the office onto the sidewalk a month before I came by. I had managed to put up with him for 6 months despite his temper going from bad to worse, and poor me had always caught the worst of it.

"You are resigning?" Libby asked bewildered.

"I've had enough of it, I can't withstand the humiliation anymore"

They both looked distressed

"Is it true, you would be working for Leo Jordan" Mabel asked lighting up

"No, that was a lie, I just wanted the sad look of betrayal on his face"

I watched their faces sink.

"You are in a tight spot financially, why would you resign when you haven't found a new job" Libby said

"how will you find a new job that quickly, or survive until you do" Mabel added

"We all know he is a terrible human being, but the pay is more than fair. You may not be able to find another this generous"

"Yeah, I know" I muttered, the realization hitting me like a summer cold."I am losing myself mentally because of him, I can't bear to spend another day here, I'd rather the ground swallow me before I beg for my job from that bully"

"It will be so lonely here without," Libby said

"I'm so sorry I have to leave like this, you are both the reason I survived this," I said hugging them

"You are welcome," they both said

"It will never feel the same without," Libby said

"We still have until the rest of the day" I chuckled trying to lift the mood.